Someone please stop my husband! Also, tree care?

[Nnyuu]

I love my husband to pieces, but he's intent on turning this place into a farm whether I'm ready for it or not

He purchased 5 cherry trees and 5 apple trees. They have all been planted as directed by the nursery, but I'm curious about tree care.

How much/often to water them? Any special considerations I should be aware of? There are several different breeds of tree to allow for pollination, so no worries there.

I feel like I was finally getting the hang of the chicken thing, and now he's starting an orchard!

 

[sourland]

Has he mentioned the cattle and pigs yet?

 

[Sally PB]

When you first plant trees, they need a good amount of water, like a couple of gallons per tree depending on the trees' sizes. This settles the dirt around their roots and helps to get rid of any air pockets that might have formed.

Depending on your soil, they may need to be watered regularly when young. If your soil is sandy and drains quickly, they will need more than if you have heavy clay soil.

Another concern is the tree bark, down at ground level, especially in the coming winters. Mice will gnaw on the bark, and can kill trees by girdling them, ie, removing bark all around the tree, deeply enough that they cut off the "circulation" for the tree to send water from the root to the leaves.

The nursery may have some kind of protection wrapped around the base of the tree. That's what that's for. If they don't, you can find something to serve that purpose at the nursery, or Home Depot, or a well stocked garden center.

 

[neo71665]

Nope, the world needs more farms. Farmers are a dying breed.

 

[Nnyuu]

When you first plant trees, they need a good amount of water, like a couple of gallons per tree depending on the trees' sizes. This settles the dirt around their roots and helps to get rid of any air pockets that might have formed.

Depending on your soil, they may need to be watered regularly when young. If your soil is sandy and drains quickly, they will need more than if you have heavy clay soil.

Another concern is the tree bark, down at ground level, especially in the coming winters. Mice will gnaw on the bark, and can kill trees by girdling them, ie, removing bark all around the tree, deeply enough that they cut off the "circulation" for the tree to send water from the root to the leaves.

The nursery may have some kind of protection wrapped around the base of the tree. That's what that's for. If they don't, you can find something to serve that purpose at the nursery, or Home Depot, or a well stocked garden center.

Thank you! Our soil here is super rocky, so my husband did have to dig up quite a large area and get good soil. I've been careful about watering them plenty, I was actually worried I might over water them We have a lot of deer in this area, should I put something around the trees? Will the deer destroy them? Thanks!

 

[Sally PB]

We have a lot of deer in this area, should I put something around the trees? Will the deer destroy them? Thanks!

Absolute fence them in! Deer will browse them to death. I should have put that in my first post. I'm glad you mentioned that.

 

[Nnyuu]

Has he mentioned the cattle and pigs yet?

Funny thing is this land has been in his family for >100 years, but it's been a long, long time since it's been farmed. They used to keep cows, there's even still and old post left from the original fencing, but that was pretty early on and they stopped about 60+ years ago. It was never a commercial farm, more of a feed the family farm

 

[neo71665]

If you can put something around them to keep the deer from it do it now. Deer love young trees and can kill one pretty fast.

 

[Aapomp831]

Absolute fence them in! Deer will browse them to death. I should have put that in my first post. I'm glad you mentioned that.

Wiped out my beautiful fig trees until I put up chicken wire

 

[Nnyuu]

Wiped out my beautiful fig trees until I put up chicken wire

I have tons of chicken wire! It's that enough to deter them?